Flipping the fish will capsize the boat

[Kent Wang]

My mother told me that there is a Chinese superstition that if one is eating a fish while aboard a boat, one should not flip the fish over as it would cause the boat to flip over as well. One should instead pull out the skeleton and continue to eat the fish without flipping.

[Pan]

My mother told me that there is a Chinese superstition that if one is eating a fish while aboard a boat, one should not flip the fish over as it would cause the boat to flip over as well. One should instead pull out the skeleton and continue to eat the fish without flipping.

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My Swedish ex-girlfriend said the same thing, and I've read that Poles also say this. It seems to be a widespread belief/superstition (depending on how you think about it).

[Domestic Goddess]

So that's why my Chinese friends do it ... even at the dinner table. I hve often wondered about that tradition.

[hzrt8w]

My mother told me that there is a Chinese superstition that if one is eating a fish while aboard a boat, one should not flip the fish over as it would cause the boat to flip over as well. One should instead pull out the skeleton and continue to eat the fish without flipping.

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Yap. Bad omen. Especially for Chinese fishermen who work and live on a boat.

Typically we consume the top side of the fish, then use chopsticks or a spoon to separate the spinal cord and all the rib bones from the bottom half of the fish, move the bones aside. Then continue to consume the bottom half without ever flipping the fish.

This is an unwritten etiquette in Chinese banquets.

[Busboy]

I thought that was just the way one ate fish. I always pull the backbone and ribs out becuase, especially with a delicate fish, it keeps the little bugger from crumbling onto the plate. Plus, it's just cool to play with the bones that way.

At least I know that no boats have flipped on my account.

[Ben Hong]

That is one taboo that has some practical merits. Flipping a delicate steamed fish will turn the dish into a crumbly, amorphous mess.

[Big Bunny]

I have a story about this.

Years ago I was putting leftover steamed fish away. Because I knew of this tradition, I was careful NOT to flip the fish in the process.

Later that day, there was a report on the radio that a local fishing boat had turned over, drowning one fisherman. If I HAD flipped that fish, I would probably have been a wreck when I heard that news.

BB

[XiaoLing]

This is an unwritten rule in most of the coast line cities and especially Taiwan. However, cities futher in-land are not aware of this custom.

I was born in Wuhan and for the first 5 years of my life, we always flipped the fish over to eat the meat on the other side of the fish (being soaked with sauce, it was my favorite part.) When I was 6 years old, I met my relatives from Taiwan for the first time and while we were eating someone flipped the fish. I thought my relatives were going to have a heart attack. From that day on....sigh....we never flipped a fish.

Edited December 20, 2006 by XiaoLing (log)

[sheetz]

Growing up at home we always flipped fish. But when dining out with others the fish was never flipped. I was never told exactly why this was so I just assumed it was just more polite to not flip the fish in public.

[Kent Wang]

I was always told that the rule only applied while actually aboard a boat. We often flipped the fish at home. It's not messy if you do it right and have two people helping.

[nakji]

I've heard this in Vietnam as well. Many of my friends here have warned me not to flip the fish!

spelling!

Edited December 20, 2006 by nakji (log)

[OnigiriFB]

We did this in Thailand too. My family is part Chinese so that might be why? The only time it was really enforced was in public though.

[Gastro888]

I dare anyone to flip the fish AND leave some grains of rice in their rice bowl! C'mon, a fortune cooky to the first who does it! (Only joking!)

Honestly, I'm pretty anal about this as well. If it ain't broke...

[JasonZ]

Grew up in Boston, seafaring town by the sea ... never heard of this tradition, but now that I know ...

BTW, the North Shore of Massachusetts now has very many Portuguese and Vietnamese fisherman, so I assume the tradition is spreading in the community as a whole.

Is there any truth to the rumor that the captain of the Titanic had fish and ...

[Kent Wang]

I think he tossed an ice cube into the plate with the fish.

[Ben Hong]

I think he tossed an ice cube into the plate with the fish.

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hey GastroGirl, how ya been? (By your clear, unpocked skin, I know that you never left any grains of rice in your rice bowls!!)

[annachan]

Yep, never, ever do we flip a fish, anywhere. It's one of those traditions that we never messed with.

[Hest88]

My mother always told me it was "bad luck" but never to this specificity. Interesting. Still, I'm really good about not flipping the bone when I debone a fish and I never flip a fish over.

[herbacidal]

My mother told me that there is a Chinese superstition that if one is eating a fish while aboard a boat, one should not flip the fish over as it would cause the boat to flip over as well. One should instead pull out the skeleton and continue to eat the fish without flipping.

←

Yap. Bad omen. Especially for Chinese fishermen who work and live on a boat.

Typically we consume the top side of the fish, then use chopsticks or a spoon to separate the spinal cord and all the rib bones from the bottom half of the fish, move the bones aside. Then continue to consume the bottom half without ever flipping the fish.

This is an unwritten etiquette in Chinese banquets.

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Never really heard the superstition and story, but I know that we normally do try to avoid it. I always filed it under the "bad luck" rule. There's a lot of those.

[cyen]

I dare anyone to flip the fish AND leave some grains of rice in their rice bowl!  C'mon, a fortune cooky to the first who does it!  (Only joking!)

Honestly, I'm pretty anal about this as well.  If it ain't broke...

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Haha, or stick a pair of chocksticks straight up in a heaping bowl of rice. My parents didn't really teach us manners and food taboos, but I did get scolded for that one when I was around 5 or 6 years old.

I didn't know about the fish flipping taboo even though mom's ancestors were fishermen. I should ask my parents about it.

[Gastro888]

Hi Ben Sook! I'm doing well. Busy at my job and getting ready for the holidays. Life in NYC is sure fast paced!

Ever heard of the tradition that women are not supposed to eat the wing tips or else they'll be spinsters? I think that's crap. What Chinese person would let food go to waste?

[Kent Wang]

Maybe the idea is to have men eat the wings. Though, of course, if they don't have any men around then they're already destined to be spinsters!

[Tepee]

...and the one about men not supposed to eat over-night hard-boiled eggs?

[Gastro888]

Chicken wings are one of the best parts of the chicken. I'm not giving mine up unless there's some avian flu invovled. Besides, I'm already a spinster according to ancient Chinese culture. Pass the cha-siu style wings, please!

Oh yeah! Men aren't supposed to eat those hard boiled eggs, that's right! (But who would want to eat them anyways unless they're deviled? ) Are there things women aren't supposed to eat?

[hzrt8w]

Oh yeah!  Men aren't supposed to eat those hard boiled eggs, that's right!  (But who would want to eat them anyways unless they're deviled?   )  Are there things women aren't supposed to eat?

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Why? What will happen to one who did?

<<<Blurp...>>> Excuse me...

Edited December 22, 2006 by hzrt8w (log)